What is the ruling on purchasing a check for a symbolic amount from someone who has despaired of collecting its real value from a dissolved company?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Buying a check with cash is considered a form of currency exchange (musarafa), which requires immediate transaction (munajaza) and equivalence (mumathala) when the two currencies are of the same type, and only immediate transaction when they are of different types. This scenario is invalid because it involves usury of excess (riba al-fadl) and usury of delay (riba al-nasi'ah), as well as (ambiguity/risk); because the buyer paid less to receive more of the same type after a period of time, and the check may not be collectible.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/61447
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 61447
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy